Student inquiry prompts bill

Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 3:12 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 3:12 p.m.

A recommendation from a Davidson County Community College student may end up protecting the identities of thousands of veterans across the state.

Tracy Phillips, a fourth-semester paralegal student at DCCC and the daughter of a retired Navy veteran, recently toured the Davidson County Courthouse complex with her real property class. During the tour, led by Davidson County Register of Deeds David Rickard, Phillips posed some concerns about the public nature of military service records.

Under state law, military discharge documents are considered public record after 50 years. Phillips' concern was that some of those records include personal information, including Social Security numbers.

"In this age of identity theft, you just don't want that information to stay public," Phillips said. "A lot of times those people are still alive."

Intrigued by Phillips' concern, Rickard started doing some research. He found one discharge form from 1962 that included a Social Security number. Under state law, that form would have been available for public access last year.

After further research, Rickard found that in the late 1960s, some branches started using Social Security numbers as a service ID number on forms.

The bill, approved last week by the Senate and received by the House this week, would change the public record release date from 50 years to 80 years after discharge documents were filed.

"It went through the Senate very well," Bingham said. "We had no votes and a little discussion on it."

Phillips said she was pleased to hear about the bill's progress.

"We have so many things that until it is brought to someone's attention, it just gets overlooked," Phillips said. "I'm sure that when the law was passed at 50 years that nobody would have thought society would be where it is today."

Nash Dunn can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at nash.dunn@the-dispatch.com.

<p>A recommendation from a Davidson County Community College student may end up protecting the identities of thousands of veterans across the state.</p><p>Tracy Phillips, a fourth-semester paralegal student at DCCC and the daughter of a retired Navy veteran, recently toured the Davidson County Courthouse complex with her real property class. During the tour, led by Davidson County Register of Deeds David Rickard, Phillips posed some concerns about the public nature of military service records. </p><p>Under state law, military discharge documents are considered public record after 50 years. Phillips' concern was that some of those records include personal information, including Social Security numbers.</p><p>"In this age of identity theft, you just don't want that information to stay public," Phillips said. "A lot of times those people are still alive."</p><p>Intrigued by Phillips' concern, Rickard started doing some research. He found one discharge form from 1962 that included a Social Security number. Under state law, that form would have been available for public access last year.</p><p>After further research, Rickard found that in the late 1960s, some branches started using Social Security numbers as a service ID number on forms.</p><p>"I figured out we had a little problem on our hands," Rickard said.</p><p>Rickard reached out to Sen. Stan Bingham, R-Davidson, who filed Senate Bill 50 earlier this month. </p><p>The bill, approved last week by the Senate and received by the House this week, would change the public record release date from 50 years to 80 years after discharge documents were filed.</p><p>"It went through the Senate very well," Bingham said. "We had no votes and a little discussion on it."</p><p>Phillips said she was pleased to hear about the bill's progress.</p><p>"We have so many things that until it is brought to someone's attention, it just gets overlooked," Phillips said. "I'm sure that when the law was passed at 50 years that nobody would have thought society would be where it is today."</p><p>Nash Dunn can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at nash.dunn@the-dispatch.com.</p>